Sierrans
86,097,916 (total) 81,484,232 (domestic) 5,200,000 (overseas) |region1 = Hani |pop1 = 3,058,887 |region2 = Brazoria |pop2 = 1,483,218 |region3 = |pop3 = 673,221 |region4 = Rainier |pop4 = 245,009 |region5 = Korea |pop5 = 189,469 |region6 = South Vietnam |pop6 = 167,261 |region7 = United Commonwealth |pop7 = 132,918 |region8 = New England |pop8 = 100,831 |region9 = |pop9 = 97,809 |region10 = |pop10 = 96,000 |region11 = |pop11= 14,000 |region12 = |pop12 = 12,000 |region13 = |pop13 = 10,000 |region14 = Hellas |pop14 = 5,000 |region15 = |pop15 = 5,000 |languages = Primarily , but also , ( and ), , , , Han, , Serran, and others |religions = (mostly and ) Various non-Christian religions ( and Canaanism) Unaffiliated ( , , ) |image = |image_caption =Various Sierrans of different backgrounds and time periods|group = Sierrans Serreños ( ) 內華達人 ( ) Người Sierra ( ) 시에라 사람 ( ) เซียคน ( ) 们人的內華達 (hn) シエラ人 ( ) (sb)}}Sierrans, or Sierran people are citizens of the Kingdom of Sierra (including those from Sierra, the Deseret, Hawaii, and New Mexico), the territories of Sierra, and Sierran crown dependencies, and their descendants, or individuals who identify themselves with the Kingdom through residential, legal, cultural, or historical connection. The majority of Sierrans are either from and or or their descendants. As a result of Sierra's multinational, multicultural society, Sierran is tied to and ( ) as opposed to a particular or ( ). Sierrans are considered Anglo-Americans, and share much in common with its fellow Anglo-American states such as Rainier, Brazoria, New England, and the United Commonwealth on historical, cultural, political, and social grounds. Despite these similarities, Sierrans have an endemically unique and distinct culture that emerged from the Sierran Cultural Revolution, in addition to their strong national identity. The cultural question Americani vel non Americani? is a common issue that confronts Sierrans in their view of their "Anglo-Americaness", and their "Sierranness". Sierrans come from various backgrounds but are generally unified by a contemporary, popular culture that incorporated customs and ideologies from and , a distinct "mainstream" culture from that of its other neighbors. These cultural ideas were the making of the cumulative decades of multicultural and multiethnic interaction that was began in the late 19th century. Today, Sierra has been described as a or where the exchange and interaction between different cultures have flourished freely. Within the Kingdom, there are several, prominent regional subgroups, among them including Styxers, Channeliers, and Deseretians, each with their own variance of culture, customs, and politics. Population According to the 2010 Census, 86,097,916 people lived in Sierra. In an official 2016 estimate, the population increased by 4 million to 90,387,008. The majority of Sierrans have ancestral origins from Europe or Asia within three generations. Nearly 40% of Sierrans in 2010 are either first or second-generation immigrants, the majority of which hail from Asia or . One of the fastest-growing nations among the developed world, mostly from immigrants arriving to the Kingdom legally or , Sierra has a history that has consistently favored immigration. It is projected that by 2025, Sierra's population will have reached 100 million if current trends continue. However, there are signs of slowing immigration rates, primarily due to the increased cost of living in Sierra and newer legal policies. Within Sierra, interprovincial is common where citizens move from one area to another within the Kingdom. As of 2015, the fastest-growing region in Sierra is the Southwest Corridor (particularly the Inland Empire and Imperial) where there is affordable real estate and job opportunities. Demographics Citizenship Generally, citizenship is obtained through birth ( ) or by birth/adoption abroad when at least one biological or legal parent who was either born in Sierra or naturalized ( ). The jus soli condition does not automatically apply to children of foreign diplomats however where additional requirements are issued. In addition, citizenship can be renounced by both citizens of birth and naturalization. is recognized in Sierra although prevents citizens of such status from obtaining certain political posts or offices (namely as Prime Minister). Nearly all citizens hold a National Identification Card and are registered with a family register, which the law requires. As such, ownership of the card has been synonymously associated with citizenship as only citizens may possess the card, and be featured on family registers. Despite this, some citizens do not have a card, and are known as "card holdouts", and face serious legal and financial difficulties as a result of this. is a necessary process for foreigners in obtaining Sierran citizenship. Under most circumstances, foreigners must first obtain permanent residency (colloquially referred to as the green card) and meet certain requirements prior to applying for citizenship. The majority of immigrants have obtained citizenship directly or indirectly from this legal process. In recent times, has increased where foreigners have bypassed naturalization laws and live within Sierran borders without permission or sanction. Ethnic ancestry According to the 2010 census, more than 40 different ethnic groups had at least 100,000 members living in Sierra. The largest self-reported ethnicity/ancestry is followed by , , , and . In recent years, the presence of newer ethnic groups have increased, particularly in the urban regions where ethnic s and established communities are more likely to be formed within reach of economic resources and utilities. Immigration Pre-20th century The first immigration wave to Sierra were the settlers commissioned by the Spanish throne to populate the in the 17th and 18th centuries. By 1800, approximately 5,000 Spanish-born families settled in Sierra (known as then) with the purpose of cultivating the land, working alongside the Indian natives, and expand the power of the . Following the of , more than 10,000 Mexican citizens lived in the land. These citizens became known as and would prove instrumental in asserting autonomy and self-dependence that would inevitably lead to Sierra's creation. Migration into Mexico's Californian colonies from Mexico remained constant throughout its possession of it. Few Mexicans from the southern mainland were willing to move to California and as such, the Mexican government relied heavily on foreigners from other countries to compensate this fact. The Mexican government allowed settlers from the United States to move into California provided they learned Spanish and converted to Roman Catholicism. Aware of the ambitions and economic interests of the Americans, the Mexican government cautiously monitored and controlled the number of American immigrants moving into California. Eventually, the exponential growth of American citizens in California was met with fierce retaliatory actions by the Mexican governments including forced deportations. These actions paired with multiple other factors led way to the and the , two key events securing the independence of California as a and then finally, the Kingdom of Sierra. The number of American immigrants increased dramatically following the discovery of in . News of wealthy prospectors and favorable reports of the land disseminated worldwide, reaching to regions including and . Following the signage of the , people of American nationality, continued to move into California with the intention of staying as permanent residents and then citizens. Within four years following the start of the Gold Rush, some 35,000 (most from southern China) and came, mostly to San Francisco City, to mine and send their fortunes back to their homes. Their presence was marked with racial suspicion and even outright hatred, occasionally surmounting to violence. After Sierra was formed, efforts to inhibit or deny the immigration of persons of Asian descent failed to receive legal sanction. The decision of the government to allow virtually unrestricted immigration for all people regardless of race contributed towards Sierra's changing demographics and eventually, its culture. During the , thousands of black from the as well as ex- s and s from the arrived to Sierra to avoid the persecution and racist sentiment expressed in the warring States. With slavery banned in Sierra, African American immigrants found refuge in urban cities such as Porciúncula and . Discrimination was common and at times, interracial conflict erupted, usually over economic and social reasons. The , which formed in the United States following the Civil War, made its way to Sierra and would buttress the white nationalist counter-movement that flourished in the early 20th century. Although legally, black immigrants who became citizens were treated equally, in reality, prejudice and racist attitudes prevailed much into the 20th century, forcing blacks to live in ethnic enclaves. Many of these enclaves caused " ", creating s, communities which continue to exist in the present-day. 20th century In the early 20th century, Sierra saw continued immigration from the United States and Asia. Following the 1921 Mexican Revolution, thousands of Mexican refugees fled the fascist regime to Sierra for safety and economic opportunities. This marked the first major immigration wave from Latin America to the area since Sierra's foundation. As much 150,000 Mexicans fled to Sierra within a year of the revolution, placing significant housing and managerial burden on local governments, particularly in the South. Most of the Mexicans would settle in either San Diego or Porciúncula where they form the largest ethnicity in such communities to the present day. Other major immigration waves that occurred simultaneously with Latin America and Asia came from Eastern Europe and the Middle East. The , fleeing from by the , arrived in Sierra and settled primarily in Porciúncula and neighboring cities. By the 1950s, Sierra had the largest Armenian population outside Armenia itself. As of 2015, the city of is home to the world's largest community of Armenians aside from the Armenian capital, . as a farmer.]] When the initially hit, immigration growth slowed down for the first time in Sierran history. With fewer job opportunities and increased cost of living, would-be immigrants were less likely to move to Sierra in light of these conditions. Immigration increased, mostly from the United States, in the early 1930s following the . Thousands of displaced farmers from the American states of and arrived to Sierra in hopes of better job opportunities. Colloquially known as the " " (which became a derogatory term), these farmers often worked for menial wages and were discriminated against by native-born Sierrans. Treated poorly, their plight was described in Sierran author 's masterpiece story, . In 1950, with the outbreak of the , tens of thousands of Koreans fled the peninsula to Sierra and more continued under the repressive leadership of . With the exception of the , immigration rates stabilized between 1945 to 1990 with an average of 54,000 immigrants annually. The primary sources of immigration began to become dominated by n countries, especially the fascist neighbor, Mexico, where the brutal regime of the Veracruz family left millions of Mexicans in impoverished, conflict-ridden conditions. Prior to the Mexican government's decision to prop up a walled fence along its border with Sierra and the United States in 1964, as much as 750,000 Mexican refugees made their way into Sierra between 1945 and 1964. Contemporary Immigration rates remained steady until the start of the new century, marked with increased immigration from and the . Noticeable changes in the demographic trends from preexisting, established immigration links came from Asia. In the 20th century, immigrants from China, North and South Vietnam, Korea, India, and Lan Na were war refugees, low-income families, and industrial workers. In the 2000s forward, more common immigrants came from wealthier families in the upper middle class seeking more opportunity in Sierra for their children. The number of international students attending Sierran higher education institutions from Asia also rose over 1000% from the 1980s to 2010, reflecting the evolving relationship between Sierra and Asia. The traditional, low-income families that continued to move into Sierra gravitated towards people from countries in such as and . Culture Modern Sierran values and customs are generally a mixture of and tradition. Strong , , interdependent balance between and (selfless individualism), emphasis on the , and are all traits of Sierran ethics. Sierra's history as a multicultural nation led to the absorption of various international views. During the 19th and early 20th century, as immigrants from with the predominantly population, many adopted English names, converted to , and learned Western etiquette. At the same time, interest in Confucian ethics and overall within the white community allowed a mutual exchange of ideas and values. The Progressive era helped advance allowing a new culture to arise and works such as Mark Culler's Comparison of Western and Oriental Thought encouraged Sierrans to integrate new ideas and customs from each other. As acceptance of differences grew, modern Sierran culture cemented toward the end of and the Protestant-Confucian model became a national standard. National identity The cultural question "Americani vel non Americani?" commonly used to describe the issues of Sierran national identity and pride. The question has also been applied to Sierra's relationship with its other North American neighbors, Brazoria, Rainier, and Wabash. Introduced by Sierran sociologist Chris Sorensen in 1963, it is a response to whether or not Sierran culture and its people are unique in their own right or merely an extension of the . Many elements developed in Sierra including , car culture, fast food culture, and other inventions have often been perceived or construed as "American" rather than Sierran. With a history of Sierra attempting to resist American influence, this effort to retain a sense of distinct identity has prevailed in contemporary times. In 2014, a survey involving 3,000 participants revealed 79% of Sierrans saw themselves as "Sierrans" although 58% of these said they also saw themselves as Americans (in the sense) as well. Language displaying the word "trash" in four of the most spoken languages in the nation: "trash" ( ), "垃圾" ( ), "rác" ( ), and "basura" ( ).]] A multilingual nation, about 57,281,994 (77% of the population) Sierrans speak primarily at home. Considered the , English nonetheless shares official status alongside the eight next commonly spoken languages: , (primarily the and dialects), , , , Han, , and Serran. Over 97% Sierrans speak any of these official languages as their primary language (with the exception of Serran which is included as an official language but is commonly used as an as opposed to a home language). 23% or 17,110,206 Sierrans named a language other than English as the primary language used to converse at home. About 5 million children enrolled in the Sierran public education system are enrolled in an English learning program. Other languages that have received official status are at the provincial or territorial level. In the province of Apache, is recognized; in the Gold Coast, , , and is recognized; in Hawaii, is recognized; in the Sierran Samoa, the is recognized; and in Rapa Nui, is recognized. Other languages spoken extensively include , , , , , and . Religion Officially a nation, the doctrine is incorporated into the Constitution. Nonetheless, Sierra is considered one of the most religious countries in the world, especially when compared to other developed nations. is the most practiced religion with 82% of Sierrans followers of any Christian denomination. The branch of Christianity is the largest with its members constituting 63% of the population. The largest Protestant denominations include the , , , , and the . claims 15% of the population while the claims 3% of the Sierran Christian body. The remaining 1% of Christians include groups such as the congregation. constitutes 2% of the Sierran population and is the second-largest religion. The next 2% of non-Christian faiths include (0.4%), (0.3%), and (0.2%). There also exists a diverse number of religious communities of minute populations: , , , , , , or . 12% of Sierrans are unaffiliated and is growing among younger demographics. While religiosity has declined in contemporary years (a common phenomenon among the Western developed nations), in 2014, 87% of Sierrans reported that they still believed in a god or a "higher force". Church attendance (comprising any number of faiths and defined as at least once a month) has declined, this trend starting from the 1970s with the current attendance rate standing at 47%. When taking weekly attendance into account, this figure is even lower at only 31%. Historically, religion, particularly Protestantism, played an immense role in politics, culture, and law. Modern Sierran culture stems heavily from the concepts derived from the , , and the . Many movements and reforms in the 19th and 20th century including , education reform, labor rights, and prison reform were led by Christian individuals and groups. Overseas Sierrans According to the 2010 census, approximately 3.2 million Sierran citizens live abroad in another country as s, s, students, , or deployed servicemen. The figures include people of Sierran origin or former citizenship who renounced it upon in another country or other means. The largest community of overseas Sierrans live in the United States (1.1 million), followed by (427,000), and Britain (245,000). See also *Culture of Sierra Category:Kingdom of Sierra Category:People of Sierra Category:Sierrans